HOW TO AVOID PURGATORY By Fr. Paul O’Sullivan O.P.
For those who have not read this little book and to refresh myself, I will be posting the entire book in daily doses. (To read later find in the Purgatory Category).
Chapter 12
THOSE WHO EARNESTLY HELP THE HOLY SOULS MAY WELL HOPE TO AVOID PURGATORY
The Holy Souls whom we relieve or release by our Masses and good works pray
for us with such indescribable fervour that God cannot refuse to hear their
prayers. One of the principal graces they ask for their friends is that
these shall have little or no Purgatory. No one knows better than they the
awful intensity of the Purgatorial flames; no one, therefore, can pray for
us as they do. Let us remember that:
a) God thanks as done to Himself what we do to others. When we relieve or
release any of the Holy Souls, we relieve or release, as it were, God
Himself. How ready, therefore, will He not be to hear the prayers offered
by these souls for us.
b) Our Blessed Lord lays down clearly the great law: “By that measure by
which you measure, it will be measured to you again” In proportion,
consequently, to our generosity towards the Holy Souls will God’s mercy and
generosity be towards us. Those who work heart and soul for the relief of
the Holy Souls may thus well hope that their Purgatory will be entirely
remitted, or notably lessened. On the other hand, those who neglect the
Holy Souls may justly fear a severe judgment and a long Purgatory.
RESOLUTION
Let everyone without fail join the Association of the Holy Souls. All the
members of the family should do so. The conditions are very easy. If the
Association is not established in your Parish, write to: Association of the
Holy Souls, Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Rosary, Pius XII Monastery, Rua
do Rosario 1, 2495 Fatima, Portugal, which is one of the centres of the
devotion.
St. James the Apostle gives another very effectual method of avoiding or
lessening our stay in Purgatory. He says: “He who saves a soul, saves his
own, and satisfies for a multitude of sins”
If someone were fortunate enough to save the life of a King’s only son, the
heir to his throne, from a horrible death, what reward might he not expect
to receive from the grateful monarch? No King, however, could be as
grateful to and anxious to reward the person who saved his son as God is
grateful and ready to reward the person who saves one soul from Hell.
All of us may, in a thousand different ways, save not one but many souls
from Hell. For instance :
1. We can do so by praying earnestly for them. How often does not a mother
save her son’s soul by her fervent prayers. We can save souls by giving
good advice and also by our good example. How many boys owe their sterling
qualities to the wise counsels of a good Father or friend!
2. Another efficacious method of saving souls is by propagating the Faith,
viz., Catholic Action.
The incredible ignorance, apathy and indifference of Catholics is the evil
of the day!
It is the bounden duty of Catholics to spread about thousands and thousands
of pamphlets of all kinds, full of life, vigour and burning interest,
crisp, incisive, clear and strong. Otherwise, these are useless.
Each pamphlet or leaflet must carry a message straight to the heart of the
reader, rousing him, convincing him, galvanising him into action.
AnaStpaul 